Liquid dispenser for clothes washers and the like



July 12, 1955 K. A. EDWARDS 2,712,747

LIQUID DISPENSER FOR CLOTHES WASHERS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 22, 1952 Inventor-z Keith A. Edwards,

b5 MW His Attorney.

U a s: i

I {"57 a lid 3 i 2,712,747 to pump liquid washing agent. In the present instance LIQUID DEFENSE}; FOR CLOTHES WASHERS the supply nozzle 9 is fixed by a han er ii to the top wall AND LEKE of the machine so it is stationary. its discharge end pro- Keith A. Edwards, Scotia, N. Y., tric Company, New York, N. York Application @ctober 22, 1952, Serial No. 316,273 5' Claims, (Cl. 68l7) The present invention has to do primarily with automatic clothes washing machines and the like and has for its object to provide improved means for supplying to such a machine durin one or more of its washing operations along with the cleansing liquid a suitable or desired washing agent. The term cleansing liquid as used herein is intended to include water or other washing or cleansing liquid and the term washing agent is intended to include any liquid sanitizing or germicidal agent, a liquid detergent or other liquid substance or liquid solution which it is desired to supply to the machine along with the cleansing liquid.

According to the invention, cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine through an aspirator, it serving as a pumping liquid or vacuum-producing liquid for the aspirator, and the washing agent is pumped into the machine by the aspirator; and in connection therewith there is provided novel means for controlling the aspirator whereby when cleansing liquid is flowing through it, a washing agent may or may not be pumped as found desirable, such means comprising mechanism whereby the cleansing liquid supply pipe and the aspirator conduit are moved relatively to each other to render the pumping action of the cleansing liquid effective or ineffective to pump wast.- ing agent. For example, in the case of a clothes washing machine, it may be desirable to supply a sanitizing or germicidal agent to the machine along with the rinse water in which case the aspirat would be made effective to pump such agent to the machine when rinse water is being supplied to it but not at other times.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel to my invention, attention is directed to the following specification and to the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of my invention, Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a clothes washing machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View with parts broken away of a corner of a clothes washing machine showing the improved liquid supplying means.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram.

5 is a detail sectional view illustrating liquid iiow ough the aspirator.

eterring to the drawing, a clothes washing machine of known type is shown in outline in Fig. 1, it being a machine of the single-tub spin-basket type. t comprises an outer casing l, a tub 2, a spin basket 3 and an agitator Mechanism including an electric motor for oscillating the agitator 4 for washing and for rotating spin basket 3 for extracting cleansing liquid from the clothes is contained in a casing The lid for the machine is indicated as 5.

The structure so far described is shown only by way of example. It is to be taken as typical of any suitable clothes washing machine.

According to the invention, cleansing liquid is supplied from a source of suitable pressure, such as the domestic water supply system, to the machine through an aspirator comprising an aspirator conduit 7 which directs the cleansing liquid into spin basket 3 and a supply pipe 8 having a nozzle 9 which discharges liquid along or through conduit 7, the aspirator conduit 7 being provided with an aspirator opening 10 and the aspirator conduit and supply pipe 8 being movable toward and away from each other to render the aspirator efiective or ineffective assignor to General Elec- Y., a corporation of New jects into the entrance end of conduit 7. in 1% is beyond the discharge end of nozzle 9 as regards the direction of flow. Conduit '7 is carried by an arm 12 which is pivotally mounted as is indicated at 13 on a bracket l integral with the top wall 15 of a container 36 for a liquid washing agent. Connected to container 1 6 is a suitable filler and vent tube 16'. Conduit 7 projects through an opening 17 in tub 2 and it is biased to a position away from the discharge end of nozzle 9 and into engagement with the bottom edge of opening l7 as shown dotted lnes in Fig. 3, by a spring 18. Container 16 in the region of its lower end is connected to aspirator opening in by an aspirator tube 19 having a flexible section formed from a piece of hose, for example, which func us to permit of turning movement of conduit 7 on its pivot. When conduit 7 is in the full line position shown in 3, liquid from nozzle 9 discharges across aspirator opening 1-3 thus creating suction on tube to pump liquid washing agent from container is? up through aspirator tube 19 and into the in-fiowing stream of cleansing liquid. When conduit 7 is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, the discharge from nozzle 9 is so remote from aspirator opening it that no pumping action occurs. Conduit 7, however, still functions to direct the cleansing liquid into spin basket 3.

in connection with the pirator, there is provided on the a -stream side of op g Sill as regards the direction f How of cleansing uid an inwardly projecting lip ll which points angularly downstream as shown clearly Figures 3 and 5, extending partly over the opening Aspirator openit). This lip performs an important function in that it deflects the stream of cleansing liquid slightly so that he cleansing liquid does not he aspirator opening 11". This is illustrated in Fig. 5 iere L indicates the liquid stream and the way in which it is deflected. Thus, the cleansing liquid is prevented from entering the pipe through which the washing agent flows and diluting the washing agent as well as filling the was ring agent container with cleansing liquid. Also, by preventing the cleansing liquid from striking the opposite side of opening il the lip ill reduces the flow disturbance in the stream of cleansing liquid and creates a better vacuum for drawing the washing agent into the stream of cleansing liquid.

In connection with the aspirator, it should also be noted that it is an open type, the end of pipe 9 which conducts the cleansing liquid into the aspirator conduit 7 being separated by an open space from the aspirator opening it). Thus, if a vacuum were created in pipe 9, only air would be drawn into pipe 9, not the washing agent, and no contamination of the plumbing by the washing agent could take place.

Conduit 7 may be moved manually in the case of a manually controlled clothes washing machine or it may be moved automatically in the case of an automatically controlled machine. However, the invention is especially useful and applicable to an automatic clothes washing machine.

In carrying out my invention in connection with an automatic clothes washing machine, there is provided for operating conduit 7 means which is embodied in and forms a part of the automatic control system, the arrangement being such that when the valve or valves which control the supply of cleansing liquid to the machine are opened to supply cleansing liquid for a particular or desired washing operation, conduit 7 will be moved to its full line position, Fig. 3, so as to supply washing agent along therewith, while when such supply valve or valves are opened to supply cleansing liquid for other washing strike the opposite side of operations, conduit 7 will stand in its dotted line position, Fig. 3. For example, the arrangement may be such that washing agent is supplied only when cleansing liquid is supplied for a rinsing operation.

For automatically moving conduit 7 there is provided an electromagnet 21 adjacent to arm 12 which cooperates with an armature 22 on arm 12. When electromagnet 21 is energized, conduit 7 is moved to its full line Fig. 3 position. When the electromagnet is not energized, spring 18 holds conduit 7 in the dotted line Fig. 3 position. 7

Referring to the wiring diagram in Fig. a solenoid operated cleansing liquid supply valve in supply pipe 8 and 24 indicates a timing motor driven automatic control timer which controls the circuits for operating valve 23 and the Washing machine motor indicated at 25. At 26 is a timer operated switch which is closed to effect the opening of valve 23 and at 27 is a timer operated switch which is closed to effect the energizing of electromagnet 21. The source of electrical supply is indicated at 28, the main control switch at 29, and a circuit leading to motor 25 for other machine operations is indicated at 38. If desired a manually operated switch 31, located on the machine for convenient operation, may be connected in the magnet circuit so that the magnet may be disconnected from the controller if the operator wishes not to supply washing agent when using the machine. This showing is diagrammatic, only connections sufficient for an understanding of the invention being shown. Whenever timer switch 26 is closed, valve 23 will be opened to supply cleansing liquid to the machine but the conduit 7 will be moved to its Fig. 3 full line position only at such times as timer switch 27 is closed also to close the circuit on electromagnet 21.

By my invention I provide mechanism of the aspirator type for supplying a washing agent to a clothes washing machine along with the cleansing liquid which is simple in structure, reliable in operation, and capable of being provided in a machine at low cost. In addition, it in no way affects adversely the use of the machine without supplying a cleansing agent, for if it is desired not 'to supply such an agent, switch 31 may be opened; or

container 16 may be left empty.

What i clairnas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a clothes washing machine, an aspirator for adding a liquid washing agent to cleansing liquid entering the machine comprising a conduit through which the cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said conduit having an aspirator opening, a cleansing liquid supply pipe having a discharge end positioned in said conduit in advance of said aspirator opening as regards flow of cleansing liquid through said conduit, a container for a liquid washing agent with the liquid level therein below said aspirator opening, an aspirator tube connecting the container to said aspirator opening, and means for moving said conduit and the discharge end of said supply pipe relatively to each other to change the position of said pipe end withrespect to said aspirator opening to render flow of cleansing liquid from such pipe end through the conduit eifective or ineffective to pump washing agent from the container into the flowing stream of cleansing liquid.

2. In a clothes washing machine, an aspirator comprising a conduit through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said conduit having an aspirator opening, a cleansing liquid supply pipe having a discharge end positioned in said conduit in advance of said aspirator opening as regards flow of cleansing liquid through said conduit, a container for a liquid washing agent with the liquid level therein'below said aspirator opening, an aspirator tube connecting the container to said aspirator opening, and means for moving the discharge end of said supply pipe relatively to said conduit to change the posi- 4, 23 indicates tion of said pipe end with respect to said aspirator opening to render flow of cleansing liquid from such pipe end through the conduit effective or inefiective to pump washing agent from the container'into the flowing stream of cleansing liquid.

3. In a clothes washing controlling automatically washing the supplying of cleansing liquid to machine having a timer for the machine, means for supplying a liquid washing agent along with cleansing liquid comprising an aspirator conduit through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said conduit having an aspirator opening, a cleansing liquid supply pipe having a discharge end positioned in said conduit in advance of said aspirator opening as regards flow of cleansing liquid through said conduit, a container for the liquid washing agent oriented to define a maximum liquid level below said aspirator opening, an aspirator pipe connecting the container to said aspirator opening, and means controlled by said timer for moving said conduit and the discharge end of said pipe relatively to each other to change the position of said pipe end with respect to said aspirator opening to render flow of cleansing liquid from such pipe end through the conduit effective or ineffective to pump washing agent from the container into the flowing stream of cleansing liquid.

4. In a clothes washing machine having a timer for controlling automatically washing operations including the supplying of cleansing liquid to the machine, means for supplying a liquid washing agent along with cleansing liquid comprising a pivoted aspirator conduit through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, said conduit having an aspirator opening, a cleansing liquid supply pipe having a discharge end positioned in said conduit in advance of said aspirator opening as regards flow of cleansing liquid through said conduit, a container for the washing agent defining a liquid level below said aspirator opening, an aspirator pipe connecting the container to said aspirator opening, and means controlled by said timer for moving said conduit with respect to the discharge end of said pipe to change the position of said aspirator opening with respect to said pipe end to render flow of cleansing liquid from such pipe end through the conduit effective or ineffective to pump washing agent from the container into the flowing stream of cleansing liquid.

5. In a clothes Washing machine having a timer for controlling automatically washing operations including the supplying of cleansing liquid to the machine, means for supplying a liquid washing agent along with cleansing liquid comprising an aspirator conduit through which cleansing liquid is supplied to the machine, a pivoted arm on which said conduit is supported, said conduit having an aspirator opening, a cleansing liquid supply pipe having a discharge end positioned in said conduit in advance of said aspirator opening as regards flow of cleansing liquid through said conduit, a container for the liquid Washing agent, an aspirator pipe connecting the container to said aspirator and defining in conjunction therewith a maximum liquid level below said aspirator opening, an electromagnet for moving said arm to effect movement of said conduit to change the position of said aspirator opening with respect to said pipe end to render flow of cleansing liquid from such pipe end through the conduit effective or inefiective to pump washing agent from the container into the flowing stream of cleansing liquid, and an electric circuit for said electromagnet controlled by said timer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,227,578 Buckner May 29, 1917 1,265,826 Speehr May 14, 1918 2,025,247 Rosenberger Dec. 24, 1935 2,523,799 Woodson Sept. 26, 1950 operations including 

